Expanded College Football Playoff Format
College football is doubling its postseason field once again. The College Football Playoff will expand to a 24-team format for the 2027 season, CBS Sports reported.
Under the new structure, the tournament will feature 19 at-large bids, four reserved for Power Four conference champions, and one for the highest-rated Group of Six champion, according to CBS Sports. The top eight teams will earn first-round byes.
Playoff Matchups Move Between Campuses and Bowl Venues
First- and second-round matchups will take place on home campuses. Teams ranked nine through 16 will host those ranked 17 through 24 at their own stadiums to begin the playoffs, as reported by NBC News.
The College Football Playoff has officially announced that it's expanding to 24 teams via a revamped deal with ESPN. As we previously reported: – First and second round games on-campus – No CFP game overlapping with Army-Navy Official release here:https://t.co/DLUjEIQYL4
The quarterfinals and semifinals will continue at traditional bowl locations, including the Sugar Bowl, Rose Bowl, and Cotton Bowl, according to CBS Sports. The first national championship game under the new 24-team model will take place on January 24, 2028, as had been previously scheduled, per ESPN.
Conference Championship Elimination
The move to 24 teams brings an end to lucrative conference championship games. The SEC announced that its 2026 conference title game will be its final one, stripping away a roughly $100 million annual revenue source, CBS Sports reported. Last year’s matchup between Alabama and Georgia averaged 16.9 million viewers.
With the expansion of the College Football Playoff allowing more teams and fan bases access to the postseason, this year's Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game will be the 16th and final. More info: https://t.co/swb4NqyFsp pic.twitter.com/EifNfAkFq4
The regular season will now conclude on the final weekend of November.
Exclusive Broadcast Rights
ESPN has secured an agreement to remain the exclusive worldwide media rights holder to the expanded CFP through the 2031 season, according to ESPN. Jimmy Pitaro, chairman at ESPN, stated that the agreement reinforces the network’s position as a destination for college sports.
The College Football Playoff, at last, announces an agreement with TV partner ESPN to expand the postseason to 24 teams starting in 2027, a long-awaited move that was expected since commissioners entered into the exclusive negotiating window with the network in September.
On Sept. 9, ESPN and the CFP entered a 30-day negotiation window that closed on October 9 to determine the value of a 24-team field.
Army Navy Schedule Adjustment
The annual Army-Navy game will move up a week to December 4, 2027, shifting out of its original December 11 slot to avoid overlapping with the playoff kickoff, CBS Sports reported. The traditional game will maintain its exclusive broadcast window.
A person expressed gratitude for the collaboration. They noted that preserving the standalone broadcast window while securing a path to the playoff is a positive outcome for student-athletes and fans, according to CBS Sports.
“Finding a way to preserve the exclusive broadcast window for America's Game while ensuring our program has a rightful path to compete in the College Football Playoff is a tremendous outcome for our student-athletes and fans across the country,” Navy AD Michael Kelly said in a statement.
Questions About the 24-Team Playoff Format
When does the 24-team playoff begin?
The expanded 24-team playoff format begins with the 2027 college football season, following the conclusion of the regular season in late November 2027, as reported by CBS Sports.
How many teams receive first-round byes?
The top eight teams in the final selection committee rankings will receive first-round byes, according to ESPN.
What happens to conference championship games?
Power Four conference championship games are eliminated under the new model, with the SEC announcing its 2026 title game will be its last, according to CBS Sports.